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CIMARRON, NM – DECEMBER 1, 2023: Kim Davis-Barrman surveys forage on her family ranch, which covers 130,000 acres of plains, foothills and mountain country in northeastern New Mexico, at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. CS Cattle Company is a multigenerational working cattle ranch that has been family owned and operated since 1873, with its origin stretching as far back as the Maxwell Land Grant, and it represents how even large and storied ranches are focusing on diversified models to stay afloat.
The lush grass forage at CS Ranch stands in stark contrast to the sparse fields surrounding, and Davis attributes her cattle's lush forage to adaptive grazing techniques she embraced in the early 2000's. “When we were kids, we knew 3 grasses," Davis said. "But I’ve recorded well over 60 on our land in the last few years.” In an attempt to encourage other ranches to adopt similar practices, the Davis sisters started the Soil Health Academy in 2017 to spread the word about how regenerative agriculture practices have revolutionized their land, and how they’re “regenerating profits through adaptive grazing.” Soil Health Academy's annual cadre of graduates are putting what they’ve learned to use on farms and ranches across the United States.
Despite CS Cattle Company's thriving cattle operation, only a fraction of the ranch's annual revenue comes from cattle. The ranch's popular hunting operation has picked up most of the slack, accounting for nearly half of the businesses annual profit in 2023.
Out of concern for the long term viability of their ranch, and their way of life, many within the Davis family are doing whatever they can to attract young people to the farm and ranch lifestyle. So every summer, CS Ranch hosts the New Mexico Youth Ranch Management Camp, where young ranchers learn principles of agriculture and business, while developing a ranch management plan similar to their host ranch. Extension specialists, County Extension agen
The lush grass forage at CS Ranch stands in stark contrast to the sparse fields surrounding, and Davis attributes her cattle's lush forage to adaptive grazing techniques she embraced in the early 2000's. “When we were kids, we knew 3 grasses," Davis said. "But I’ve recorded well over 60 on our land in the last few years.” In an attempt to encourage other ranches to adopt similar practices, the Davis sisters started the Soil Health Academy in 2017 to spread the word about how regenerative agriculture practices have revolutionized their land, and how they’re “regenerating profits through adaptive grazing.” Soil Health Academy's annual cadre of graduates are putting what they’ve learned to use on farms and ranches across the United States.
Despite CS Cattle Company's thriving cattle operation, only a fraction of the ranch's annual revenue comes from cattle. The ranch's popular hunting operation has picked up most of the slack, accounting for nearly half of the businesses annual profit in 2023.
Out of concern for the long term viability of their ranch, and their way of life, many within the Davis family are doing whatever they can to attract young people to the farm and ranch lifestyle. So every summer, CS Ranch hosts the New Mexico Youth Ranch Management Camp, where young ranchers learn principles of agriculture and business, while developing a ranch management plan similar to their host ranch. Extension specialists, County Extension agen
